Photographic-printing machine



May 20, 1924. 1,494.851

D. M. LOPEZ PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT ING MACHINE Filed July 25 1921 2Sheets-Sheet l ('lttoz new May 20 1924. 1,494,851

D. M. L6PEz PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MACHINE Filed July 25. 1921 2Sheets-Sheet 2 4 Milli. 5

Patented May 20, 1924.

UNITED STATES DAVID MOLIN E LOPEZ, OF OLARKSDALE, ARIZONA.

PHOTOGRAPHIC-PBINTING MACHINE.

Application filed July 25,

To aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, DAVID M. Lornz, a citizen of the United States,residing at Clarksdale, in the county of Yavapai. and State of Arizona,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Photographic-Printing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to photographic printing machines, andthe'primary object of the invention is to provide a machine of simpleand durable construction, which will permit the printin of photographs,from either films or plates, in a convenient and expeditious manner.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide an improved photographicprinting machine embodying a casing having printing'lights arrangedtherein, a hinged platen, means carried by the hinged platen for urgingthe printing paper into engagement with the negative, and means formanually controlling the circuits to the printing lights, and means forautomatically closing the circuits to the printing lights, when theplaten is swung to its operative position.

A further object of the invention is the rovision of a pair'ofadjustable printing ights arranged in the casing, a novel means forindependently adjusting the lights according to the nature of the filmsfrom which the pictures are being printed, a dark room lamp arranged inthe casing, and means for automatically opening the'circuit to the darkroom lamp, and closing the circuit through the printing lamps, when thehinged platen is swung "to its operative position; said automatic meansclosing the circuit to the dark room lamp and opening the circuit to theprinting lamps, when the platen is swung to its open or inoperativeposition.

A still further object'of the invention is the provision 'of a novelmask carried by the printing glass, arranged at the upper end of thecasing, which is so constructed as to permit all sizes of films to bereadily and easily accommodated in aminimum amount. of time.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will behereinafter more specifically described, claimed and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichdrawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the im- 1921. Serial No. 487,389.

proved printing machine, showing the platen swung back to its openinoperative positlon.

Figure 2 through the improved machine, taken on the line '22 of Figure3.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section, taken on the line 3-3 ofFigure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail perspective view or the mask, showingthe means for slidably connecting the sections thereof together.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail per spective view of a portion of theplaten,

illustrating the means of resiliently connectmg the paper engaging partwith the frame of the platen.

Figure 6 1s a diagrammatic view of the wiring circuit for the printingand dark room lamps.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the severalviews,the letter A indicates the cas- 8 ing of the improved machine; B, theplaten therefor; C, the dark room lamp; D, the

printing lamps; E, the

means for adjusting the printing -lamps;

, the automatic means for controlling the circuit to the 5 printinglampsand dark room lamp; and G the novel type of mask utilized with theimpoved printing machine.

The casing A may be of any desired size, and formed of any desiredmaterial. shown, the casing is formed of wood and includes the frontwall 10, the rear wall 11, the end walls 12 and 13, and the bottom wall14.

The upper end of the casing A is left open and is adapted to be closedby the hinged platen B, which will be hereinafter more fully described.The upper edges of the front, rear and side walls, 10, 11, 12 and 13 arerabbeted as at 15, for the reception of the printing glass 16. If sodesired, a suitable felt or other pad 17 may be fitted in the rabbetedportion 15, in order to form a seat for the printing glass.

The rear wall 11 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 18,which defines a guide way for the printing lamps D, which as stated,will be hereinafter more fully described.

The mask G is arranged on the upper surface of the printing glass 16,and includes the two sectlons 20 and 21. Each sectlon inis a transversevertical section 0 cludes a pair of right angularly extending legs 22and 23. The legs 22 are formed relatively longer than the legs 23 andextend longitudinally of the casing, while the legs 23 extendtransversely of the casing. The legs 22 and 23 of the sections 20 areslotted longitudinally as at 25, to provide the upstruck guide ways 26,which are adapted to receive the legs 22 and 23 of the section 21. Thispermits the convenient adjusting of the sections 20 and 21 in relationto each other, to form different sized openings, according to t-he sizeof the negatives from which the prints are to be made. In orderto'facilitate the setting of the mask to different sized prints, thelegs 22 and 23 of the section 20 are graduated, as at 27.

The platen B includes the open frame and the solid print engaging plate35. The frame 30 includes the front and rear bars 31 and 32, and theside bars 33. The frame is also braced by bracing strips 34, which mayalso act as handles for raising and lowering the platen, if so desired.The rear bar 32 extends rearwardly of the casing A, and is 2 connectedto the casing A by means of hinges 36, which are secured to therearwardly extending strip 37, carried by the rear wall 11 at the upperedge thereof. The front strip 31 is adapted to be engaged by ahingedcatch 38, which is carried by the front wall 1O, and serves asmeans to hold the'platen in its lowered operative position. One end bar33 is extended laterally of one end of the eas- 0 ing, and forms meansfor operating the automatic switch structure F for controlling thelighting of the dark room lamp G and theprinting lamps D. Thelongitudinal bars 31 and 32 have secured to their inner faces guidetracks 40, which receive the free terminals of the bow springs 41 whichare pivoted intermediate their ends as at 42 to the outer surface of theplate 35. These springs 41 normally tend to urge the plate 35 downwardlyinto forcible contact with the printing paper to hold the same againstthe printing glass 16. It can be seen that the plate 35 is of such sizeas to permit the same to slide in the frame 30.

The dark room light 0 may be an ordinary incandescent bulb of a red orsimilar color, and has the base 44 thereof, secured to the rear wall 11of the casing, adjacent to the lower end thereof. This lamp C isarranged substantially at the transverse center of the casing. V

The printing lamps D may also be of the ordinary incandescent type andof any desired candle power, and as shown two of these lamps have beenprovided, and are designated by the numerals 45 and .46. The printinglamps 45 and 46 are detachably secured to bases 47 which are mounted inthe slot 18 formed in the rear wall 11. The rear wall 11 has secured toits outer face, a guide way 49, and this guide way has slidably mountedtherein plates 48, to which are secured the lamp bases 47. This permitsthe convenient sliding of the lamps 45 and 46 toward each other, for apurpose which will be hereinafter more fully described. The means E foradjusting the lamps 45 and 46 consists of a sliding and rotatable rod50.

This rod is extended into the guideway 49 V and is mounted for freesliding and rotary movement in a bore 51 formed in the base plate 48 ofthe lamp 46. The inner end of the rod is provided with a screw threadedterminal 52, which is fitted into a threaded bore 53, forn'ied in theplate 48 of the lamp 45.

The rod 50 on each side of the plate 48 of the lamp 46and in spacedrelation thereto is so that the same can move from one end of I thecasing to the other, so that if the film is darker or denser at' oneportion than at another, the lamps can'be adjusted toward this'pjortion;j

It is also, desirable that the lamps be independently controlled, thatis the circuits thereof be independently controlled, so that in caseonly one light is needed, the other light can be put out. In actual use,only one light will be necessary, but in real dark or dense films, twolamps can be used.

The automatic switch'structure F for controlling the opening and closingof the circuit to the dark room lamp C and the printing lamps D,consists of a vertical recipr ocatory'rod 60. This rod 60 is mounted'insuitable guide members 61 carried by the end wall 13. The lower or innerend of the rod 60 has secured thereto a plate 62, which carries aconducting plate 63. This conducting plate 63 may be inserted orarranged on a suitable insulating block 64, carried by the plate 62. Theconducting plate 63 has secured thereto one line wire 65, while theother line wire 66 is extended into the easing and connected to oneterminal of the dark room lamp C; The other terminal of the dark roomlamp C has secured thereto the electric wire 67, which has the outer endthereof bared and extended through the side wall 13, as at 68, in orderto form a contact, as clearly shown in Figures 3 and 6. One terminal ofthe lamps B are connected to a conductor wire69, which has its outerterminal left bare and extended through the wall 13 of the casing toform a contact 70. The contacts 68 and 70 are arranged in spacedrelation to one. another and can be fitted in suitable insulatingsleeves 71, car

ried by the side wall 13 of the casing. As shown, these contacts areextended into the guide housing 72 formed for the lower end of the rod60, and the plate 62 is adapted to slide in this guide housing. The wire65 is also extended through the side wall 13 of the casing and issecured directly to the plate 63 a heretobefore described. The lamp 45has connected to its other terminal a wire75, which is connected to theline wire 66. The lamp 46 has connected to its other terminal a wire 76,which is also connected to the line wire 66. These wires 75 and 76 haveinterposed therein suitable hand or other manually operated switches 77and 78, respectively. As clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3 of thedrawings, these switches 7 and 78 are carried by the rear wall 11 of thecasing, and extend outwardly therefrom.

It can be seen that by operating the switches 77 and 78, the lighting ofthe lamps can be manually controlled.

The rod 60 is normally urged upwardly by means of a spring 79, which iscoiled around the same. The spring engages the upper end of the housing72 and against a pin 80 carried by the rod. When the platen B is in itsraised position, the rod 60 is in its raised position owing to theinfluence of the spring 79 acting upon the same, and the conductingplate 63 will be in engagement with the contact 68, thus closing thecircuit to the dark room lamp C. It can be seen that the dark room lampC is normally in circuit when the platen is raised, so that the printercan readily see to place the negative and the printing paper on theprinting glass plate 16. The front wall 10 of the casing may be providedwith suitable red and orange colored glasses 81 and 82, so that themachine can be used for dark room work, when so desired.

In operationv of the improved machine, the platen B is first moved toits open position and the mask G is adjusted to the size of the negativefrom which the prints are to be made. The negative is then placed inposition on the glass plate 16 and the print mg paper placed over thesame. The platen B is then swung downwardly, and the hook 38 moved overthe forward strip 31 thereof. This will urge the plate 35 into tightengagement with the printing paper and make good contact between thenegative printing paper and printing glass 16. If so desired, the lowersurface of the plate 35 may be provided with a felt pad 35. Uponlowering of the platen B, one end strip 33 will engage the upper end ofthe rod 60 and move the same downwardly against the tension of thespring 79. This will move the contact plate 63 from out of engagementwith the contact 68, and into engagement with the contact 70, thusclosing the circuit through the lamps 45 and '46. \Vhen the rod is inits lower position, it canybe 'seenthat current will flow through theline wire 65, through the plate 63, through the wire 65, through thelamps 45 and 46, through the wires 75 and '76, through the switches 77and 78, and then through the line'wire 67. Before the printingoperation, however, the lamps 45 and 46 can be adjusted according to thenature of the negative as heretobefore stated, and either one or bot-hof the lamps may be used.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that an improved printingmachine has been provided of exceptionallysimple and durableconstruction, which will permit the easy and convenient printing fromfilms and plates.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit orscope of this in vention; but,

I claim:

1. A photographic printing machine comprising a casing, a printing lampin the upper end of the casing, a hinged platen for the casing, a pairof printing lamps arranged in the casing, a dark room lamp, circuits forthe printing lamps and the dark room lamps including a pair of linewires, the dark room lamp being interposed in one of the line wires, anautomaticallyoperated switch carried by one side wall of the casing,means normally urging the switch to a raised position, a contact platecarried by the switch, means electrically connecting the other line wireto the contact plate, a lead wire, means electrically connecting oneterminal of each lamp to the lead wire, lead wires secured to the otherterminals of the print lamps and connected to the first mentioned linewire, and contact points formed on the first mentioned lead wire and thefirst mentioned line wire and arranged in the path of said contactplate, and a bar carried by the hinged platen and arranged in the pathof said sliding rod.

2. A photographic printing machine comprising a casing, a printing glasscarried by the upper end of the casing, a hinged platen carried by thecasing including a frame, and a plate slidably carried by the frame,resilient leaf springs pivotally secured intermediate their ends to theplaten, and guide tracks carried by the frame arranged to detachablyreceive the free terminals of said leaf springs.

3. A photographic printing machine comprising a casing, a pair ofindependent printing lamps slidably mounted in the casing, a dark roomlamp, colored transparent glasses carried of the casing, a guide trackcarried by the rear wall of the casing, base plates secured to each oneof said printing lamps slidably mounted in said guide track and an bythe front wall adjusting rod arranged in said guide track andoperatively connected to said base plates.

4:. A photographic printing machine comprising a casing, a guide slotcarried by one Wall of the casing, independent printing lamps slidablymounted in the guide slot, and means operatively connected to said lampsfor adjusting the same Within the guide slot. r

5. A photographic printing machine comprising a casing, a mask supportedat the upper end of the casing, said mask being formed in sections, eachsection including a pair of right angularly suspending legs, one

15 of said legs being longer than the other, the

legs of one section having longitudinal slots to provide upstruckguideways adapted to receive the leg portions of the other sectionswhereby to permit of adjustment of the two sections.

a 6. A photographic printing machine comprising a; casing, ia pair ofindependent printing lamps slidably mounted in the cas ing, a guidetrack carried by one Wall of the casing base plates secured to saidprinting lamp and slidably mounted Within said guide track and meansoperatively connect-- ing said base plate to provide for adjust ment ofthe lamp Within the casing.

DAVID V MOLINE LOPEZ.

